WHAT TO SEE

Shoppers will inevitably head to the Tai Koo Li and IFS retail centres, but more typical Chinese goods can be found along Chunxi

Street, which runs east-west from IFS most of the way to Tianfu Square.

To buy souvenirs, try local snacks or drink tea, head to the restored Kuanzhai Alley – also called the “wide and narrow alley” – located about a 15-minute walk west of Tianfu Square. This area of “old Chengdu” alleys and courtyards offers a pleasant, if somewhat theme park-like, cultural experience.

Jinli Street is a maze of narrow lanes reconstructed in similarly traditional fashion, where domestic Chinese tourists buy up fiery-hot chillies in various forms.

Jinli Street occupies the northern tip of a park that surrounds the Wuhou Temple (entry RMB 60), which was built during the Three Kingdoms period (AD220-280) to honour Zhuge Liang, a military strategist of the era. It’s a genuine piece of ancient history, and a peaceful place to escape the city.

Another refuge is People’s Park, where one of the city’s oldest tea-drinking establishments, the Heming Teahouse, is still popular. A short walk from here is the new Chengdu

Museum (open Tues-Sun 9am-5pm; free entry), a huge glass block on the western side of Tianfu Square that is well worth a few hours of your time.